In a landmark verdict, the Paris Criminal Court has sentenced prominent Swiss academic Tariq Ramadan to 18 years imprisonment for multiple rape convictions. The ruling, delivered in absentia on Wednesday, concludes a high-profile trial involving three separate victims between 2009 and 2016.
Presiding Judge Corinne Goetzmann emphasized the ‘extreme gravity of the acts,’ particularly noting the rape of vulnerable persons as a determining factor in the substantial sentence. The court heard harrowing accounts from victims who described initially consensual encounters that escalated into violent assaults. One victim testified to experiencing ‘a fear of imminent death’ during strangulation by Ramadan.
The judicial panel established a critical legal distinction regarding consent, with Judge Goetzmann stating unequivocally that ‘consenting to sexuality is not the same as consenting to any sexual act whatsoever,’ affirming the possibility of retracting consent during sexual activity.
Ramadan’s legal team denounced the proceedings as a ‘judicial farce,’ with defense attorney Ouadie Elhamamouchi alleging ‘relentless pursuit’ of his client. All four defense lawyers staged a dramatic exit from the courtroom, protesting what they termed a ‘travesty of justice.’
The 63-year-old Oxford scholar, who held visiting positions at Qatari and Moroccan institutions, was previously convicted of rape in Switzerland. He claimed hospitalization in Geneva due to multiple sclerosis complications, but court-ordered medical examinations determined his condition was stable and presented no barrier to trial participation.
The sentence includes permanent banishment from French territory following prison term completion, marking a significant development in France’s judicial approach to sexual violence cases.